One Chance (Hogan Brothers 1)

Looking between the two men, their similarities were so noticeable. If she weren’t falling for Nox, she’d think they were twins. Same sandy brown hair, same dark blue eyes, crooked jaws, cleft chins. Their father must have had strong genes because where they were both hard and light, their mother was soft and darker, except for her gray hair, of course.

“Ready for a break?” Nox asked, pulling her around the front of the desk and into his arms.

“Very.” She gazed up at him. Seeing the intent in his eyes, her own closed as his lips barely touched hers.

Hearing, “Get a room,” broke up the moment and had a growl leaving Nox as he spun to slap his brother.

“Go find Levi and pester his ass,” he demanded.

“Can’t,” Loch told him with a shrug.

“Why the hell not?”

“He’s out of town again.”

The statement was full of meaning, but she couldn’t figure out what or why as they both pondered Lochlan’s words.

“Is he okay?” she asked hesitantly.

Neither answered her.

“Let’s go grab lunch,” Nox suggested again as he guided her out the door with a firm hand on her lower back.

Quickly forgetting her question at his touch, she let him lead her to the small café around the corner. Not once had he lost contact with her until he sat her at a table and went to order for them.

He exuded confidence as he waited in line. Dirty as could be and he was still the best-looking man in the room. Not that she paid attention to anyone else. There was a group of girls around her age sitting on the other side of the café, giggling and pointing towards him. When one girl got to her feet, a look of intent on her face, Sophia stiffened as she approached him.

She stood behind him for a moment before pulling her top down a little further to expose her cleavage. Tapping him on the shoulder, Sophia waited for his devastating smile to grace this other woman. Shock invaded when he dismissed the girl with no more than a curious glance. He didn’t smile, didn’t engage her in small talk. In fact, he downright scowled at her and turned his back when she tried jiggling her breasts for more attention. Not getting the desired effect, the woman walked back to her table of friends, a look of defeat on her face.

When Lennox turned his attention to Sophia with a smile and a wink, she blushed, deeply satisfied with the entire display. As he placed their order and walked over to where she was sitting, she saw the girls shooting her dirty looks.

“You have some admirers.” She nodded in their direction. When his head turned, each of the girls preened and puffed out their chests, as if the only way to get a man’s attention was to flaunt their assets.

His scowl returned when he saw what they were doing. “I’ve got everything I want right here,” he told her as he turned back to her.

They spent their lunch in harmonic silence with soft touches and secret looks. Sophia couldn’t have been more satisfied with how things were turning out if she had tried.

When she’d run away from home, she hadn’t had high hopes of being able to stay away, of succeeding. She’d spent her entire life believing she was stupid. With Lennox, she felt like she could accomplish her goals, as if she were worth more than what she felt. He made her see hope and light at the end of the tunnel, instead of despair. Her only fear was when everything would crash around them like a toppled house of cards.

Watching Soph as she looked around while he ordered gave Nox a chance to see her in a public environment. Observing her discern others let him see how she really felt about certain things. Like he knew when the girl had walked up to him that Soph was expecting the rejection to be aimed at her and not the stranger. When he did brush off the other girl, Soph was shocked.

He hated that she felt like she wasn’t good enough. He knew she was having a hard time with talking to so many people at work, and he wouldn’t force her to do it if she didn’t want to, but he also knew she wouldn’t accept a free ride.

Lennox had thought the job was a perfect fit. Mac was up front with her when she would need help answering the technical aspect of things. He had a feeling she wasn’t asking for help, though.

While they ate, he stole as many touches of her soft skin as he could. Seeing her small delicate features next to his hardened ones was a huge turn on. He hadn’t thought of himself as a caveman before, but with her, it seemed to just come out.

He loved that she was so much smaller than his six-foot frame. That when he wrapped his arms around her, she was engulfed in the width of his shoulders. He felt like he was shielding her from the ugly things in the world. The doubts and fears that were a constant presence in her eyes made him afraid he wouldn’t be able to. He knew he was going to have to completely reprogram her to believe the world was intrinsically decent, despite what she’d been led to believe. Not everyone was a complete douchebag like her parents.

“It occurs to me,” he began, “that we didn’t have that perfect date I had in mind yesterday.”

“Maybe we could tonight?” He was glad to see her opening up even just the slightest bit with her question.

“I say, we do it.”

Her smile, it was all light and sunshine and life. He’d kill to see the same one on her face for the rest of his life.

Hell, he’d make sure it happened.